Google Rumored to Be Working On One-Click Mobile Shopping

By Peter Roesler

President, Web Marketing Pros

Mobile is the future of internet commerce and Google has shown recently shown a clear preference toward the mobile internet. According to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, Google may soon allow consumer to shop through their mobile device with just one click. Though it’s unclear whether or not this plan will be made available to the public, one-click shopping will be changer for mobile commerce.

Google plans to add buy buttons to its search results pages on mobile devices. Theses buttons will essentially accent current ads on Google. However, the ad format would only appear alongside ‘Shop On Google’ sponsored results and they wouldn’t show on desktop browsers.

A one-click mobile shopping experience from Google has been rumored for a few weeks. The plan would show buttons on mobile results and would feature a paid promotion flag. Initial reports suggests that early partners will include big names like Macy’s department store.

According to the report, “if shoppers click on the buy buttons, they will be taken to another Google product page to complete the purchase, the people explained. On that page, they will be able to pick sizes and colors and shipping options, as well as complete the purchase, one of the people said.”

Google Shopping has been a challenger for online retailers like Amazon and Etsy by connecting consumers with sellers. This new plan takes gives Google a business advantage since they will continue to get ad revenue from the PPC campaign along with a possible referral fee for sales through the platform.

There are other reasons why Google’s rumored one-click button shall be a winner. Smaller phone screens have less space for ads, so an ad format that let’s people convert without taking up more space is a benefit. Furthermore, the Wall Street Journal article noted that mobile ads often fetch lower prices than similar ones on desktop computers since they may lead to fewer sales.

Though the original plan appears to only apply to mobile, if Google is able to significantly increase sales for their online advertisers, there’s no reason for them to not apply the feature to desktop sales. For all ecommerce transactions, the fewer clicks needed to complete the transaction, the more likely the consumer is to convert on the particular ad in question. Putting a one-click shop button directly on Google search results should increase the conversion rate on ads.

This matches the pitch Google has been given to potential advertising partners. The report noted that Google has told retail partners that it is adding a buy button to reduce friction for users on mobile devices, increasing the chances that they will make a purchase, known as a “conversion” in the digital ad business, two of the people said.

Google’s plan is something business owners should keep track of. It may not be official, but the sources from the Wall Street Journal shouldn’t be discounted. It will be an effective way to reduce barriers between businesses and the consumer.